Disbelief of ADD | ADHD Information

So get this.....I was diagnosed with ADD 6 months ago....did very well on adderall xr, but had 3 episodes of honest to God panic attacks, with heart rate, blood pressure skyrocketing, and sheer panic OUT OF NOWHERE.  So of course I end up in the ER, and on every occasion, the docs say "so you have ADD?  you've come this far in your life as a successful individual with years of education--and you think you have add?"  I tell them about the psychologist and psychiatrist who I had been seeing in a different state, how the adderall helps, that my husband says being on the medication has made a profound difference, etc.  Their response is "Yeah, well if I was taking amphetamines (or someone referred to them as "UPPERS"), I'd be more focused, too.)

So I was referred to the local psych and they said with these panic attacks it's not add, but rather anxiety.  He was concerned about these panic attacks.  I told him I would not be compliant with Paxil or any of the SSRI's that cause profound sexual side effects.  He was agreeable to trying wellbutrin which is not helping at all, though I appreciate the fact it takes 4 weeks for it to take effect.  So a couple of questions:

1.  Has anyone had the experience with docs of differing opinion?  I never bought into the ADD diagnosis until I went for "stress management" and this is what panned out.

2.  Does anyone have panic attacks with their ADD?  What meds are you on?  They also put me on clonipin for the anxiety, but it makes me sluggish.

3.  I have some 10mg adderall xr caps--I'm considering taking those once/day until this wellbutrin kicks in...if at all.  Does anyone take both wellbutrin and adderall?  any profound side effects?  I'm concerned about the polypharmacy, but I'm in a job right now that requires incredible organization and focus.  You should see my office. And my husband is getting frustrated with my irritability.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Paperlady

Hmmm. . . .

I know that stims can cause increased heart rate/bp in some people, so it could be the meds, but that doesn't mean you don't have adhd, it just mean that maybe adderall isn't the right meds for you (if that's what's causing it).

I was having panic attacks before my son was dx'ed- the stress of dealing with him on top of my own issues was just too much.  I was dx'ed adhd after my son was- realized the anxiety and depression were secondary to the adhd.  I was on Zoloft about a year before I was dx'ed w/adhd- it worked wonders for everything (including my adhd symptoms) but unfortunately I couldn't stay on it because of a rather severe reaction to it that didn't start until I'd been on it about 6 weeks. 

So I'm on wellbutrin xr now with good results- not as pronounced as with stims, but noticable if I stop taking it.  I take adderall xr (25mg)"as needed"- on days I really need to get stuff done. 

Have you been on ssri's before?  Do you know that you have side effects with those?  It might be worth a try- stims are a hassle because of the controlled substance thing- I'd much rather have a non-stim that worked. 

Thanks for the feedback.......I still haven't gone in to see anyone yet, but I wonder how agreeable they would be to an "as needed" small dose of adderall....or maybe try another one.  ugh.

 

Dear Paperlady:

Technically ADHD is about "attention inconsistency" meaning that although we may sometimes have marvelous focus--we cannot turn it on and off when we need to. Sometimes we overcompensate and then we pass under the radar, sometimes for years.  Hyperfocus can be part of it too. I passed under the radar a long time because "girls don't get it" [rather a sick joke--I was the hyper-est kid in all my classes!]

It's not uncommon for psychs to disagree with one another. Sometimes people wind up with half a dozen labels--all contradicting each other. A medical diagnosis [particularly in a mental health field] is as much art, as science. It is only that--an informed medical opinion.

Personally I'd rather get dx'ed from a paper test than by a psychiatrist or psychologist asking questions because it's less subjective. Also, psychs all have specialties--and they tend to notice those specialties more frequently than they notice symptoms they're less familiar with. Also, I prefer the European DSM as the symptoms listed are far more restrictive that its US counterpart.

Whatever helps YOU get through the rough spots in life, dx or not--I believe is what you should do. I am concerned that the adderal could be the reason for the panic attacks since it can cause heart palpitations and anxiety.

Something is going on for you, for sure. What that might be, could take some examining.

Did you get a full assessment before the first dx?

Keep us informed and I hope you manage okay
here's my opinion....

With my ADHD it is anything but "attention deficit", infact I believe I have a higher amount of possible attention than non add/adhd-ers. Where the problem comes in is putting my attention and thought processes into one specific, minute thing for any period of time. When I can its hyper mode.

It is not focusing better, it is concentrating that focus of a few things all into one hyperfocus. This to people who don't understand it just means it helps us focus better" because they cannot comprehend spanning attention to multiple things simultaneously.